Review

"Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans" – A Recipe for Laughter, Murder, and Mildly Suspicious Pie

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a caterer moonlighted as a detective while baking her way through a murder mystery, Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans is here to answer that question you definitely didn’t ask. Released in 2024, this Hallmark movie is the latest installment in the Curious Caterer series, and it’s exactly what you’d expect: a cozy mystery wrapped in a warm blanket of predictability, with a side of suspiciously perfect pastries.

The plot follows Goldy Berry (played by the ever-charming Nikki DeLoach), a caterer with a knack for stumbling over dead bodies and an even greater knack for solving crimes while somehow keeping her soufflés from collapsing. This time, Goldy finds herself embroiled in a murder at a medieval-themed wedding (because why not?), where the victim is found impaled by a decorative sword. Yes, you read that right. A sword. In a Hallmark movie.

What follows is a delightful mix of amateur sleuthing, awkward romantic tension with Detective Tom Schultz (Andrew Walker, who somehow manages to look perpetually confused and dashing at the same time), and a lot of pie-related puns. The dialogue is as cheesy as Goldy’s quiche, and the twists are about as surprising as finding out that the killer is the person who wasn’t in the opening credits. But hey, that’s the charm of Hallmark movies—you know exactly what you’re getting, and you love it anyway.

The film’s subtitle, Foiled Plans, is a clever nod to both the murder weapon (aluminum foil, naturally) and the fact that Goldy’s catering gigs always seem to go hilariously off the rails. One scene involves her accidentally serving gluten-free brownies to a gluten-loving villain, which somehow leads to a dramatic confession. It’s absurd, it’s ridiculous, and it’s exactly the kind of low-stakes chaos that makes Hallmark holiday movies so addictive.

If you’re looking for a cinematic masterpiece, this isn’t it. But if you’re in the mood for a cozy night in with a glass of wine, a plate of cookies, and a movie that feels like a warm hug from your slightly nosy but well-meaning aunt, Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans is the perfect recipe. Just don’t think too hard about why a caterer is allowed to investigate crimes—or how she always manages to solve them before the actual police.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 suspiciously perfect pies. 🥧